Terrorists launched a relentless wave of deadly bombings Tuesday to mark the tenth anniversary of the war in Iraq.

The attacks rocked Baghdad, killing at least 56 people and wounding more than 200. The coordinated car bombings appear to be the work of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Tuesday's violence is just the latest evidence that insurgents remain a serious threat to Iraq's security and long-term stability.

Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for a highly coordinated attack earlier this month in far western Iraq that killed nine Iraqis and 51 Syrian soldiers who had sought temporary refuge in the country.

Al Qaeda's Iraq branch is also taking responsibility for a brazen and highly coordinated raid on the Justice Ministry in downtown Baghdad last week. That attack, involving car bombs and gunmen disguised as police, killed at least 24 people.